LIGHT IN OUR DARKNESS

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of  the throne of God.

Jesus told us He is the Light of the world and that the world would get darker and darker so we shouldn't be surprised when it does, but because we have Jesus we have His light in our darkness.  

Nowhere in scripture does it say to keep our eyes on the world and it's troubles. Our verse says the opposite - keep your eyes looking unto Jesus.  Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. When our eyes are on the world we get depressed, but when our eyes on Jesus we will have hope and comfort.

We still have the Good News that God is with us in the middle of it all and Jesus will continue to shed the light of His love in a dark place. When we believe in Him we are amazingly blessed and maybe we forget we're no longer part of this world and it's system. We're part of God's system, part of His kingdom which is righteousness, peace and joy despite what the world does. 

For those who have said yes to Jesus we can thankfully still believe for God to go ahead of us and protect us. We can still believe for Him to provide for us whether prices escalate or not, for His love to surround us and for His angels to guard us. Why is that? It's all because of Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. We have a Wonderful Saviour, a Wonderful Deliverer.

We can be at peace knowing Jesus is still the Light of the world no matter what happens! Thank You Lord.

GOD WILL HAVE HIS WAY

Acts 23:11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well."

This chapter is so encouraging because we read about God's plan for Paul and although we then discover some men had other plans for him which were dramatically different because they wanted to kill him, it's not hard to guess whose plan won through in the end. God's!

Forty men had conspired together to kill Paul on his way to be interrogated, but God made sure their evil plan was discovered by his nephew (who conveniently happened to overhear the plot!) and Paul escaped. Paul's nephew was at the right place at the right time to be part of God's rescue plan.

In this instance God used a member of Paul's family but also an ungodly commander and multiple soldiers. In other words, whatever it takes, we can trust God to provide or use whatever is necessary to sort our situations. So if rescue or help comes from an unlikely source don't refuse it thinking it can't be from God.

Don't forget God might use you to be part of someone else's rescue plan by being at the right place at the right time too!

Be encouraged, because whatever God's plan is for our lives, if we keep our eyes on Him, He will make sure nothing will stop it. He will have someone working for Him who will be able to help us and no matter what the enemy has had planned God will have the final say and He will have His way.

PRAY FOR STRENGTH AND JOY

Colossians 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father....

We could probably all do with more strength especially at the end of the day when we're tired. Apart from spiritual endurance and patience, which we need all the time, God knows we also need physical endurance and sufficient energy to deal with the everydayness of our lives.

It's interesting he includes joy and thanksgiving in the same verse so there has to be a link.  It looks like our attitude will greatly affect our strength levels and I expect we all know the verse 'the joy of the Lord is our strength' which is the same thought.

Would you like some of God's glorious power to strengthen you? Well Apostle Paul believed in praying for strength and joy, so we can pray for the same. We just need to do our part which is to have a thankful attitude.

On the days when we might struggle to know what there is to be joyful or thankful about, he goes on to remind us... we've been rescued from the kingdom of darkness, transferred into the Kingdom of  his dear Son, He purchased our freedom and forgave our sins as well as giving us an inheritance (vs.12-14). 

That's quite a lot to be joyful and glad about even on our darkest days, don't you think?😊

GOD IS IN US!

2 Chronicles 2:5-6 This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him!...

As I was reading this verse about God being so great that even the heavens can't contain Him, I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Now, I thought, if the heavens above can't contain God how can we contain Him? And I had this light bulb moment when I realised we must be much bigger on the inside than we think or realise!

The spirit part of us must have a huge capacity for God to be able to come and dwell inside it. Do you see it?

How often have we maybe thought of ourselves as just 'little old me' with a mind set that thinks we can't do a lot when actually God recreated us when we were born again. He breathed His Holy Spirit into our spirit and we now have the capacity and ability to do and be all that God calls us to do and be! You are bigger on the inside than you think.😊

What I'm trying to say is, we have a huge potential inside us that God has placed in us and there are things He wants us to do and places He might want us to go. 

So as we begin a new week remember you are much bigger on the inside than you think because the Spirit of God Himself is living in you and He will enable you!😊

UNDER HIS CARE

 Psalm 95:6-7 

Come, let us worship and bow down. 

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God. 

We are the people he watches over, 

the flock under his care.

Isn't it lovely to know that the One who is our God, is the same One who actually made us, so He knows and understands very well what makes us tick and why we do the things we do or say.

There is great peace in knowing that it's not just anybody who is watching over us and looking after us but it's God Himself. 

He's the One who has the Host of Heaven's Angelic Armies at His command, the One who holds the universe in balance, the One who brings the stars out every night and never fails to bring up the sun each morning. He is the All Powerful One but He's also our loving Father who gave His own Son to die for our forgiveness and healing.

There's no doubt about it, God wants us to feel safe and secure because we're under His care and there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be. How about you?😊

A GENTLE, SOFT ANSWER!

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. v.4 Gentle words are a tree of life.... 

Perhaps you're one of those lovely people who never speaks harshly to anyone, but just in case you're not, here is a gentle reminder for us to count to ten before we snap back at someone who has just pressed our wrong buttons! You know the moment, when everything in you wants to say 'something' or give someone a piece of your mind? In actual fact they don't need a 'piece' of our mind but they do need the 'peace' of God!

We all know answering back gives us satisfaction for a few moments but we also know it's very short lived because as soon as we do we usually feel guilty because we didn't listen to the Holy Spirit nudging us to keep quiet. It's a bit like eating a doughnut - it's three happy minutes in your mouth but three unhappy inches on your hips!😊

So if you're getting all hot and bothered about something or someone today, just stop and listen inside for a minute and allow the Holy Spirit to give you some of His peace and calm you down.  Instead of wanting to give back as good as you get, give back something better - a gentle, soft answer - and amaze everybody.😊

Have a lovely weekend.

GOD'S FAVOUR IS ON US

Psalm 5:12 (Nkjv)  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a a shield.

God never fails to amaze me with His goodness and kindness especially in the little things that matter to us. You see God knows us very well and what matters to us also matters to Him, and scripture tells us He cares about us. Let me give you an example.

The other day I bought bedroom curtains, put them up and made new cushions to match but now our picture didn't match so I thought we'd wait to buy another one. Next day we were driving along when I saw a picture leaning on a garden wall that someone was giving away. We went for our walk, came back the same way and it was still there so stopped to look at it. It was a perfect match for our new decor - how amazing was that! I hadn't even asked the Lord for a new picture, He just provided me with one out of the blue. It was the favour of God, being at the right place at the right time and He knows I enjoy recycled as much as new.😊 

I'm sure you have stories like that too but I wanted to encourage us all to remember God cares, He knows us really well and He just wants to bless us because we're His sons and daughters. He's our loving Father, our Dad, and He's not only made us righteous but He's promised to surround us with His favour as well. 

We may not always recognise God's favour at work but it's lovely when we do.😊

Thank you Father for all your loving kindness to us. Amen.

GOD'S WONDERFUL GIFT OF IMAGINATION

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Our imagination is a gift from God and when we use it in the right way it is a great blessing. It's actually a tool that the Lord can use to bless us because He can do more than we can imagine.😊

When we worry, we're using our imaginations to 'see' all sorts of scenarios that are upsetting or negative but God wants us to use that same imagination to 'see' what He has promised us in His word and to 'see' positive outcomes and possibilities.

I was sharing with someone the other day how we can see ourselves standing under a shower and it's a power shower pouring all over us a whole lot of wonderful things from our Father God. 

Perhaps you'd like to join with me for a minute and imagine His shower is pouring His strength into us when we're tired, pouring His peace into us when we're stressed, pouring His wisdom into our minds when we don't know what to do, His healing into ever cell of our bodies which are out of kilter. Most of all let's see His love pouring down all over us, absolutely soaking us. Do you get the idea?

Where healing is concerned imagine that shower of healing actually washing away your symptoms and say "Father I receive your healing power into all these diseases and pains and I see them being washed away. By your stripes I am healed and I see by faith, with my imagination, my body being restored more and more each day in Jesus' Name." 

I heard of a true account of a man who was diagnosed with cancer but he used his Godly imagination and day after day he 'saw' an army of soldiers going to his defence inside his body annihilating every cancer cell. Over the course of time he was totally restored, praise God.

Let's use our imaginations to work for us in a God way and release His power to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all we can ask or think.😊

GOD'S FATHER HEART OF LOVE FOR US

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Do you ever feel like you could do with a fresh revelation of how much God loves you? I know I could and I was reminded of some things to help us with that last weekend.

When we go through challenges it's important to know God loves us in the challenge, during the challenge and after the challenge. In other words the challenge, or our response to it, doesn't alter God's love for us in any way. His love is steadfast.

God is our true Father and He sent Jesus to reveal Himself to us in that way and reveal His Father's heart of love for us. We are not orphans because He has made us His sons and daughters. He wants us to know we can come close into His Fatherly arms and let Him wrap them lovingly around us. He will never turn us away and say we're too messed up or say He's too busy. 

He wants us to believe and know we can live (abide) in that place of His love all the time, resting in the certainty that He's there for us day or night and that He understands us better than we understand ourselves.

Maybe you've had one of those times when you've sobbed your heart out because you didn't feel loved then if, or when that happens to you, here are some truths to say over yourself which I believe will help.

"I am my Heavenly Father's child. I belong to Him. I am under His care. He watches over me. I am protected by my Father and He absolutely loves me. Nothing can separate me from His love and I rest in that today. Thank You Father for loving me so much."

USING THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD

Jeremiah 23:29 Does not my word burn like fire?" says the Lord. "Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?

The Word of God has far more power in it than we realise. We look at the words on the pages of our bible and just casually read them, maybe forgetting God's word can burn things up, like sicknesses, and smash strongholds to pieces even if they're as hard as a rock! 

So how do we use God's word and apply it to our situations that can seem impossibly hard? God wants us to come into agreement with Him, not try to reason everything out or contradict what He has said. 

Jesus said 'Only believe' and that is the best place to start and then to speak God's promises out of our own mouths over our situations. A hammer works by constantly hitting a nail with it and the word of God works the same way. We constantly apply it to our situations that look like they're set in stone.

I had a friend once whose bank balance had gone into the red so he applied God's word to it and declared over his statement "God is supplying all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, so bank account I tell you to come back into the black." In due time it did.

You see he believed what God said, agreed with it and declared it over his circumstances. God says we are more than overcomers. Now it may not feel like it or look like it, but that's what God's word says so our part is to agree with God by faith.

Lord help us to come into agreement with Your word this week and declare it over our lives, and we believe we shall see some things burned up and smashed to pieces by it in the coming days. Amen.

THE JOY OF THE LORD'S PRESENCE

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

I went for a very early morning walk the other day through the local fields. The grasses and daisies were as high as me, the sun was glorious and I had it all to myself. It was absolutely lovely and as I walked along I imagined the Lord was right there walking beside me as I shared with Him what I saw and heard as I walked along. There were even swallows swooping in and out around me.

We can practice being aware of His presence though wherever we are, at home, at work, anywhere, because He wants us to enjoy His company and all He wants to share with us.😊

In the busyness of every day it's easy to be unaware of lovely things around us, even the sun on our faces. We're so caught up in the moment or in our mobile phones that we miss the sparrows are chirping like mad in the hedges, the flowers in the gardens are beautiful, and the trees are a wonder to behold in all their glory at the minute.

Maybe I can inspire you to grab a few minutes out of your busy day to enjoy what's around us, or take a rug and go and sit under a tree for lunch, and imagine the Lord is there beside you, like as if you were with a friend.

And even if you're unable to do that this week be encouraged because we can still remember God is right there with us in whatever is happening around us, or in us, and just be more aware of His loving presence. I'm sure it will put a smile on our faces and lift our spirits. 😊

WONDERFUL PROMISES

Isaiah 45:2 (Nkjv) 

I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight; 

I will break in pieces the gates of bronze 

And cut the bars of iron. 

v.3 I will give you the treasures of darkness

 And hidden riches of secret places,

 That you may know that I, the Lord, 

who call you by your name,

 am the God of Israel.

Cars have a small rear view mirror but in comparison a huge windscreen because what is in front of us is so much more important to us than what we've left behind. God wants us to focus on what He has coming in His good plan, not focusing on what has been. If we keep looking back to what we had we'll probably drive off course, and find we're bumping into things we shouldn't have done!😊

Instead let's use God's word today like the powerful tool it is and personalise today's verses over our lives, speaking them by faith, and allow God to do what He says He will do and give us what He says we can have. Amen.

GOD KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

Isaiah 46:10 (Amp) Declaring the end and the result from the beginning....Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose.

God knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. The  trouble is we often look at our lives and only see the middle, the bit right in front of us, or we're so looking back we can't see the future and the hope God has planned out for us. 

I heard it likened to a cricket match when it's only half way through. We get all down when the score is down but it's not over till it's over! Life is a bit like that and it's best not to judge our life based on the way it's gone so far or is at the minute. 

The match isn't over yet and God still has a lot of fulfilment and joy to come if we'll keep being thankful and believing in His goodness😊

So keep looking forward, stay in faith, knowing that if what you see at the minute doesn't look so good, God is about to change for your good. It may not be what you thought but it will be what God knows is right for you because He sees the end from the beginning. 

I think we're all probably learning that's what trusting God is really all about - resting in His goodness and mercy and His great love for us knowing He only wants the best for us.

Have a lovely weekend.😊

UNCHANGING GOD IN A CHANGING WORLD

Malachi 3:6 I am the Lord and I never change.

We're living in a world which seems to be changing so fast it's hard to keep up! Every time we go out the door prices have shot up again and it can be disturbing to say the least.

It's at those times we need to turn our eyes back on the word of God to be reminded that no matter what else changes in our world, our God never changes. 

That means because He was good before, then His goodness will be forever. He was faithful before, He will always be faithful to us. His love and kindness towards us has never changed one iota and He will remain the same forever. Because God does not change we can put our total confidence in Him always being there for us because of Jesus.

There is great stability and security in Him. Hebrews tells us Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and He is our solid rock in this changing world. Jesus is the Word which means His word also never changes and if it promises us something, that will not change either. He promised to provide all our needs and that hasn't changed.

So on days when it looks like everything is getting out of hand just go back to the word which says Jesus is upholding and maintaining the entire universe by His powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3 Amp).  

In other words Jesus is holding our lives and our world together and nothing can take us out of God's' hand, so of all people, we can put a smile on our faces and know God's got this and us.😊

EARTHQUAKE!

Acts 16:25-26 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a massive earthquake the prison was shaken to its foundations. 

A few years ago we were woken up by a terrific shaking and loud rumbling which felt like a freight train was going through the house. It was literally shaking around us and although it only lasted a few seconds it was hairy. It transpired we'd experienced an earthquake which registered 5 on the Richter scale and I'd never want to experience that again!

Today we're reading about Paul and Silas who, even though they'd experienced a massive earthquake, which blew all the doors off, and a severe beating in prison only the day before, they're still able to minister to others. We read how they rescued the jailer from committing suicide and gave him and his family the good news about Jesus.

The next morning, even though they'd been up all night, they then went back to the believers in town and encouraged them before moving on. These men were not focused on themselves and what they'd just been through at all. Their main concern was others and encouraging them.

We've  probably all experienced things that have really 'shaken' us to our foundations, and for some it will have felt like 10 on the Richter scale. I hope Paul and Silas help us to see God can strengthen us to look beyond our own circumstances and even turn our focus on lifting up others. He'll show us how to encourage them through difficult times too.😊

GOD WILL BRING US UP AND OUT

Exodus 3:7 And the Lord said, "I have surely seen the oppression of My people....and have heard their cry...for I know their sorrows. v.8 So I have come down to deliver them....and to bring them up...."

God gave us these verses to remind us that He is listening and He sees and knows all of what is going on in our lives. He goes on to say He's going to deliver us and lift us back up. 

So if you're in the middle of a trial today, let God help you, by staying in peace and trusting Him to do what He says He will do.

No matter what has happened in our lives, or what we've lost, God does know all about it and He has promised to give us double blessing for all our troubles. Zechariah 9:12...Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. Hang on to that promise and believe it because God said it.

So stay in faith, trusting in the God who made you and put you on earth for such a time as this. He knows how to vindicate you, heal you, deliver you and bring you up and out, so you can stay in peace knowing you're the apple of His eye, His chosen one, and nothing can separate you from His love. 

Jesus is our Deliverer so when the enemy tries to whisper all his negative blurb in your ear just ignore him and keep looking to Jesus by believing God's promises. 

Come back to that place of peace and rest in Him and let Him do what only He can do, knowing God is fighting your battles and turning things around for you in the way that's best for you.

KEEP DOING THE RIGHT THING

1 Peter 2:20 ....But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

Doing the right thing is often not the easiest thing but it will have the best results. It's not surprising we get weary doing the right thing when we're overlooked or criticised, not given credit for doing right. It seems like those who couldn't care less get the promotion, the good breaks and we wonder why.

In the heat of the moment we sometimes forget we're ambassadors for Christ, that the only God people see is the God in us.  But God wants us to see that He is honouring us by trusting us to do the right thing, to make the right choices and He's right there with us helping us do that all the time. 

Galations 6:9 So let's not grow tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.

He's reminding us of His promise today that if we keep doing the right thing we will reap a blessing. Not maybe, not hope so, but we will.

So keep going, you're doing better than you think, all of heaven is rooting for you, God is pleased with you which is what really matters, and realise that every time you choose to do the right thing there is a promised blessing on it's way.😊

GOD HAS AND IS BLESSING US

Deuteronomy 28:6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.

How blessed we are that God woke us up this morning, He gave us the strength and ability to get out of bed, the food to eat and clothes to wear, but it's our choice whether we'll start the day with gratefulness for all that, or with a 'Monday Morning' attitude.

Even when we're dealing with difficult problems, I'm sure if we remember God is for us, that He's already gone ahead of us into this new week, that He's prepared the right people for us to meet, to be in the right place at the right time and showered blessings on our head, then we'll be able to start with a smile and a glad heart because we can trust Him to help us. 😊

He wants us to be aware of His presence with us all the time, that His love is enfolding us, His light is surrounding us and showing us the way forward, and He's going to cause our light to shine to be a blessing to someone else this week.

Be encouraged, God is lifting us up if we feel down, strengthening us if we feel weak and anointing us to do whatever we have to do, so guess what - we're not doing any of it on our own or under our own steam so we can relax and let His great grace flow to us and through us to everyone we meet.

Thank You Lord for blessing our week.😊

Ephesians 1:8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (Nlt)

GREAT GRACE ON YOUR LIFE

Job 22:28 (Nkjv)

You will also declare a thing,  

And it will be established for you. 

So light will shine on your ways.  

God encouraged me with a word a little while ago which I share with you below as I believe it's for all of us.😊......

"There is great grace in your future - greater than anything you've ever imagined. Never be in doubt, believe Me says the Lord. Nothing is too difficult or too hard for Me, the Creator of  all things.

I am going ahead, I am smoothing out the path to lead to My great plans. Nothing can stop My purposes and plans.

Believe in My power, believe in My great grace on your life. Believe for the impossible because it's not impossible with Me!

My power is beyond your imagination now release My power by believing what I say.

Stop your doubting, release your faith. Declare the victory, declare what you want to happen. (Job 22:28)

Release My power to demolish strongholds, to bring down obstacles, to release My blessings. 

Use your faith. Believe I can do it. I am the Almighty. There is nothing too hard for Me."

Job 22:28 You will succeed in whatever you choose to do and light will shine on the road ahead of you. (Same verse but New Living Translation)

GOD'S OPEN DOOR OF FAITH

Acts 14:27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.

God used the Apostles to go to the Gentiles and He opened the door of faith to each one of us. We know it's by God's grace, through faith, that we have been saved by Jesus when we walk through that door of faith. (Eph. 2:8)

When we've invited friends to walk through our front door we want them to move forward and enjoy all that our home and hospitality have to offer them. We don't expect them to stand in the front porch with a mug of tea in their hand, we want them to come on in and relax and be one of the family.

In the same way God wants us to hold His hand and let Him take us on in, to experience all that His kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy and His goodness have for us and to enjoy all of it by the faith He's already given to us.

God's open door of faith keeps leading us deeper into His kingdom where all things are possible with Him, where He heals the sick, restores the broken hearts, and finds those who've lost their way.

Yesterday we thought about starting something, no matter how small a step. Let's grab His hand and let Him lead us into further adventures in faith with Him and not just stand in the front porch with our mug of tea looking in. God's door of faith is open let's go on in with Him today.😊

Have a lovely weekend.x

SMALL BEGINNINGS ARE GOOD

Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin....

Have you ever started a project and wondered if it will ever amount to anything? Or perhaps you're thinking of starting a new hobby or a new skill. Maybe the Lord has given you an idea for something, or to branch out into some form of ministry but you've been reluctant to begin because you don't think you have the necessary skills or experience to make a go of it.

Our verse today encourages us to see past the small beginnings, no matter how tentative they are because He wants to bless it. It says the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. It doesn't say He rejoices to see it all complete or when it looks professional. No, He rejoices because He sees our faith to at least begin what He's put in our hearts because He can't bless something that hasn't even started!😊

Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. Very often we don't know what we can do till we try, like I didn't know I could write a blog but I gave it a try. I've also been trying to draw and although I wasn't very good to begin with, over time I've seen some improvement, which has been fun as I draw teddy bears, but I do need to keep practising!  

I didn't know I could do lots of things till I tried and God has put a talent in your hands too. Jesus will not just be the author of it but the finisher of it as well, but He's waiting for us to begin.

So don't delay any longer but begin whatever it is and just see where it goes. Everybody and everything has to start somewhere, why not you, why not now?

Deuteronomy 28:8 The Lord will command the blessing on you ....... in all to which you set your hand....

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Acts 13:15 ...those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it."

Paul and Barnabus had travelled to Antioch and were in the local synagogue when they were asked to give a word of encouragement to the people. And what was the 'word of encouragement' Paul brought?

v.38 Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. v.39 Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God - something the law of Moses could never do.

 

A word of encouragement is so powerful and we have it in our power to build others up, to encourage them as well. We can tell them that whatever they have done, they can be forgiven because of Jesus and they too can be declared right with God not by keeping the ten commandments - but by believing in Jesus.

We all need to know and be reminded of that so that we don't run from God but run to Him all through our day. 

God wants to encourage each one of us today to let us know we're right with Him, He's forgiven us. He's not wanting to punish us, He's wanting to enfold us in His loving arms to bless us and be good to us, not because of anything we've done but because of Jesus and all He has done for us.

I hope that encourages someone to come and let Him wrap His arms of love and forgiveness around you again today.😊

A KIND AND LOVING SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

We have a little swarm of 'bees' in this verse. Bee on guard, bee courageous, bee strong. 😊 But today I was thinking about the last part - do everything with love.

The Passion Translation says Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do.

Wow, that can be a challenge if you're like me and we've done things in the past out of a sense of duty. We felt we 'ought' to be doing something and it caused us to have a bit of a begrudging spirit while doing it. Ever been there or is it just me? 

Well I just wanted to encourage us today to see the Holy Spirit is wanting us to know it's possible to do everything with a different spirit if we ask the Lord to help us. We can do it with His love and kindness.

Deep inside each one of us is God's love and it's when we recognise and accept His love we can do whatever we have to do motivated by love in our hearts, because He loved us first. When we know we're loved we want to be loving to others but when we sometimes feel a bit mean and begrudging it may be because we've forgotten God loves us so much.

So whatever we have to do today let's tap into God's love inside us and let the Holy Spirit help us do it with a loving, kind spirit. I think we'll all probably enjoy life a bit more, don't you? 😊

Romans 5:5 (Nkjv) ....because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

MINDFUL OR MIND FULL?

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

I was reading about Slow Stitching which encourages you to slow down and let your mind relax into doing something that doesn't have to be perfect in any way but just be an expression of what is inside of you. It's a form of being mindful which I know is much talked about at the minute.

But I don't want to talk about that kind of mindfulness, but just to ask a simple question.  What are our minds full of most of the time - what am I 'mind full' of?

It might be helpful throughout our day to take a couple of minutes and empty our minds of all the 'stuff' that constantly fills us up with the news, or media, or family situations or paying the bills, or work problems etc. and just turn our attention on God and let His peace fill our minds instead. 

Here are some things to be 'mind full of' this week, maybe when we sit down for our rest break, or when things start to get on top of us, take a deep breath and think, or say out loud if it helps...

God chose me before the world was made. 

He loves me with an unconditional, never ending love. 

Wherever I am, God is here with me. 

He has placed me in the hollow of His hand to keep me safe so I can trust Him. 

He is the God who is more than enough for all situations in my life. 

My God is the God of all comfort and hope as I believe and rest in Him. 

He gives me His peace which is flowing into me right now.

No doubt you can think of lots more things but I hope that has helped fill our minds with God's goodness to us and how much He cares for and loves us today.😊

YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD

Romans 8: 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

It's always good to know and remind ourselves who we are because if we don't we might not feel too brilliant for a number of reasons.

Who we are is not based on our performance. The enemy comes to try and tell us our value is in our performance and when we don't perform too well we feel bad and not worth much. But God wants us to know that we don't have to 'perform' because our value is in who we are, not what we can or can't do - we are a son or daughter of the Most High God.

Who we are is not based on our possessions. We don't have to own designer labels, or have the right stuff to be valuable. God says we're of great value just because of who we are, and whose we are - a child of God. Our value doesn't go up and down with what we do or don't own.

Who we are is not based on our popularity even if social media tries to say it is. We don't have to be popular, or to be 'liked' by all and sundry, to feel good about ourselves.  All that matters (whether we have peoples' approval or not) is that we know we're a child of the Most High God and He approves of us. (Ephesians 1:6)

God placed great value on us when He chose us and called us. The price Jesus paid on the cross has placed the highest value on us possible, so we don't need to perform, or possess or be popular. We just need to know who we are - a child of the Most High God, greatly blessed, highly favoured, deeply loved and accepted all because of Jesus. What a relief!😊

So as we begin a new week and if the enemy comes and whispers something in your ear to try to make you feel 'less than', just say "No! Not listening! I know who I am - I am a child of the Most High God."

CHOSEN AND LOVED BY GOD

Colossians 3:12-13 (Nlt)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,

you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,

kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 

Make allowance for each other's faults, 

and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember the Lord forgave you,

so you must forgive others.

We may not have a wardrobe of designer clothes but God has given us a wardrobe full of the clothes He'd like to see us wearing every day. 😊

Help us Lord to remember You have chosen us, loved us and forgiven us so we can go and do as much for others this week. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

LET PEACE RULE OUR HEARTS

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

God tells us here he wants us to live in peace not turmoil or anxiety. He even tells us where that peace is to be found so we don't have to try and find it in the wrong place.

True peace can only come from Christ, the One anointed by God to be the Prince of Peace and when we come to Him in faith we can receive His peace afresh today. So often we let doubts and fears creep in and they start to rule our hearts but here God says let peace rule in our hearts. That means we have a choice.

He finishes by saying be thankful. Maybe that's one of the keys to allowing Christ's peace to rule in our hearts. When we're thankful we're not worrying. When we're thankful we've put our eyes on God not on the  size of our problem. When we realise God is so much bigger than our problem His peace will overpower our worries and fears.

Let's lift our hands up to our Prince of Peace today and allow His peace to fill our minds and hearts, to flood our souls.  Anytime you feel yourself getting wound up just stop, turn to Jesus and let Him fill you again with His peace.

Allow His peace to rule your day and have a blessed weekend everyone.😊

LORD RESTORE OUR ENTHUSIASM

Psalm 23: 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

Yesterday we looked at a mum making a picnic lunch. For us it might be something very different that we do every day whether for ourselves or for others. The important thing is to enjoy the season we're in right now, whether we're young or older.

If we're older, scripture promises we will be fresh and flourishing and we'll bear fruit in older years. (Psalm 92:14) If we're younger then God's good purposes and plans are unfolding all the time and He'll complete what He's started in us. (Phil. 1:6) Let's receive it by faith.

Sometimes we wish we were doing something 'more exciting or interesting'!  Doing the same job, vacuuming the home, driving in traffic, making a meal - may feel a bit boring! But if we didn't have the house to clean, the car to drive, the meal to make, we would soon miss them and be excited if we could!😊

If we've got a bit tired of the daily routine let's ask the Lord to restore our enthusiasm for life and to remember it can still be exciting getting up in the morning. God's favour still surrounds us like a shield and something good is going to happen today because surely His goodness and mercy still follow us all the days of our lives.😊

Lord give us renewed enthusiasm for the life we have, a grateful heart for all You've given us, and a sense of anticipation of  'cup overflowing' days ahead. Amen.

NEVER DISCOUNT YOUR ORDINARY!

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the scriptures. They also recognised them as men who had been with Jesus.

Yesterday we looked at God using what we already have on the inside of us. David was just a shepherd boy, minding his own business, tending sheep day in, day out. When he was bored he'd practice using his sling over and over again. Have you ever felt like that? You do the same thing day in, day out, over and over again? 

If so, be encouraged because God can use the ordinary, every day things in life. When we read about Jesus feeding the 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish we need to remember that the little boy's mum probably packed up his picnic that morning before she shooed him out the door. I expect she did it every morning, made the bread rolls, counted out the fish, put it all in a bag and then carried on with her day.

If she hadn't done the ordinary, maybe Jesus wouldn't have done the miracle! Think about it for a minute. That mum had no idea she was playing a part in Jesus' amazing plan for that day. What 'ordinary' are we performing every day that just might be transformed by Jesus in someone else's life to become a miracle? Never discount the ordinary, or the boring, or the repetitive things we do every day. Jesus can use them!

If  David hadn't practiced his sling shot every day he wouldn't have hit Goliath and brought him down. If the lady hadn't packed up the picnic we wouldn't hear about her little boy and the miracle picnic for 5000 plus people. 

Let's put a smile on our faces and give God our ordinary and ask Him to bless it in any way He wants to, and let our cup overflow to someone today.😊

GOD OVERFLOWS OUR CUP

Psalm 23: You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

I heard someone say at the weekend that you'll never know your cup is overflowing when your eye is on someone else's mug!

As we begin a new month let's remember that God has filled our cup and it's overflowing with promises, with the value He has placed on us, with giftings He has put inside us, with blessings too many to count, with family and friends, with the love He has lavished on us in Jesus.

We're tempted to look at someone else's life or abilities and think we're less than, when all the time our mug is flowing over too and they're probably looking at us and thinking the same thing!😊

Even if we don't have all we'd like, what we have is enough for this moment in time. If we'll change our perspective we'll realise that if we were supposed to have what someone else has, then God would have given it to us if we needed it to fulfil our calling. 

We don't need what someone else has because we're not walking their walk.

God has anointed each one of us for the life He has given us and He will use what we already have, what He's placed on the inside of us, to fulfil our purpose. If we need more He wants us to know He will provide it at the right time, and we can rest in that and have peace about it.

Next time you get your mug out and it's steaming away, think about the overflow of blessings, the promises, the anointing God has already poured into your life and let your praises rise up with the steam as you drink.😊